Love or Obsession Gendo & Yui

[DatDude]

ob·ses·sion
n.

1.) Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety.

2.) A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion.


love

1.) A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.

2.) A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.

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I believe that when you love some one and lose them their are things you do to honor their memory. You conduct yourself in a way they'd want you to, because to do otherwise is to betray the love you had. Even if its something you can't or don't think you can do you owe it to their memory to try at lest.


Do you think Gendos prime motivation was love for his wife, or do you think that love twisted into an obsession?


Please state your reasons

If he were acting out of genuine affection for his wife, he'd have treated the children better. Even if only Rei, and Shinji. Why because she was judging from his attitude towards her and the way Gendo is portrayed in the days he meets her, Yui was about the only person to show love for Gendo his entire life. If not exactly that then something close, enough for him to know just how important having some one that loves you is.

The children get treatment from Gendo (or lack their of) that I'm sure Yui would dislike if not hate. The mans entire mission seems to be getting Yui back to HIM without taking a moment to think, " What would Yui WANT me to do here?"

Gendo thinks only for Gendo.

I think obsessed.

[JinKazama]

Agree, it's the obsession that he had with Yui brought him into working for SEELE on the HCP(HIP). The way he acts towards Rei speaks for itself, he doesn't seem to care Shinji at all, nor much the others work with him, except for Rei who not only carries Yui's DNAs but also resembles her a lot.

Someone might think that Gendou sees Rei more as a tool of his than a daughter-like person to him. But I think it's not so true, as I remember in the early episodes when the reactivation of Eva-00 went terribly wrong, Rei's cockpit was forced to eject and hit the ground hard in high temperature, while seeing this happening Gendou was first shocked (the only time he's in shock in the entire TV episodes)and later rushed to save Rei's life, even he clearly knew Rei was only one of the hundred replacable clones, he still lost composure as if it was his Yui in danger. (I don't know, he might see Rei as Yui or as their daughter, or maybe a mix of the two....)

That I think even if it's obssession, we couldn't say he didn't love Yui, actually I now think it's more like a mix of the two (both obssessed and in love with) its a bit hard to draw a clear line between the two but more likely it seems he's obsessed, not in an apparent way though. 8)

[the_seventh_child]

Btw now you mention it,when Yui was pregnant, i remember Gendo saying "If he's a boy it's Shinji,if it's a girl then Rei"..
So maybe Gendo was seeing Rei as a daughter figure or something..

And on topic i have to agree with JinKazama..When you love someone you don't wanna lose him,but then if you do the whole HIP to revive this person you can call it obssesion too..So i guess it's a mix of both!

[DirtyHamster]

I think that it's a misguided love.
Yui was probably the only person Gendo could share his feelings with, but she's gone now and so he's all alone again. I think he's still in love with her, but without her he walks around blindly, thinking he knows what Yui wants, when he doesn't really know what he wants himself.

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

A better question might be, did Gendou ever love Yui, at all. Was he only using her to gain immortality, or did he really love her. We never get absolute confirmation one way or the other, but I prefer to say that yes Gendou was in love with Yui.

The children get treatment from Gendo (or lack their of) that I'm sure Yui would dislike if not hate. The mans entire mission seems to be getting Yui back to HIM without taking a moment to think, " What would Yui WANT me to do here?"

Consider that Gendou's treatment of the children might have bee a nessesary part of he and Yui's scenario.

[Reichu]

Consider that Gendou's treatment of the children might have bee a nessesary part of he and Yui's scenario.

A necessary part of GENDO'S scenario, you mean.

[Soluzar]

A better question might be, did Gendou ever love Yui, at all. Was he only using her to gain immortality, or did he really love her. We never get absolute confirmation one way or the other, but I prefer to say that yes Gendou was in love with Yui.

(emphasis on the longer passage is mine)

Hey OMF? Did you go for coffee during the graveyard scene? Of course he loved her, in his own crazy, messed up way. That was an absolute confirmation right there for ya. It wasn't even subtle.

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

Hey OMF? Did you go for coffee during the graveyard scene? Of course he loved her, in his own crazy, messed up way. That was an absolute confirmation right there for ya. It wasn't even subtle.

By absolute, I mean an "I loved Yui" from Gendou, though now that I think of it, Kaworu is the only character in the show to say this to another person.

[Soluzar]

Hey OMF? Did you go for coffee during the graveyard scene? Of course he loved her, in his own crazy, messed up way. That was an absolute confirmation right there for ya. It wasn't even subtle.

By absolute, I mean an "I loved Yui" from Gendou, though now that I think of it, Kaworu is the only character in the show to say this to another person.

I'm going to be forced to press my advantage and state that unless only those precise words would suffice, the graveyard scene contained exactly that. One does not always use the precise word "love", since it is overused and undervalued. Gendo is the type of man to appreciate this.

Also, in Japan, the word love (ai) is seldom used, and the term suki, which just means "strong liking" is offen substituted. The usual Japanese equivalent to telling someone you love them is "Suki da" - meaning, literally "it is love". Admittedly you don't get Gendo using that term in regards of Yui, but kindly recall his lines in that graveyard scene.

Using a better (more accurate and more natural) translation than the LTP or that dodgy fansub you usually watch might help.

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

Using a better (more accurate and more natural) translation than the LTP or that dodgy fansub you usually watch might help.

Believe me I'm trying, but trying to get your hands on Platinium without a credit card where I live is a task of Herculean effort. I'll find it, someday.

[Soluzar]

Using a better (more accurate and more natural) translation than the LTP or that dodgy fansub you usually watch might help.

Believe me I'm trying, but trying to get your hands on Platinium without a credit card where I live is a task of Herculean effort. I'll find it, someday.

I was only rib-tickling you. Don't take offence. I just noticed that you always quote the LTP, and your screenies don't seem to bear the same subtitles I'm accustomed to. You're a UK resident, like myself, ne? I know the problems that beset the anime fans of this sceptred isle.

With regards to platinum the first two are out, and the third is on it's way, so I'd guess you're better off just waiting, right now. Do you at least have access to the subtitles of the original DVD releases?

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

I was only rib-tickling you. Don't take offence. I just noticed that you always quote the LTP, and your screenies don't seem to bear the same subtitles I'm accustomed to.

That rib was my painfully beset with rubbish subs, platinumless rib. It's terribly sensitive. My nightly prayers are only that I may yet pass by a shop window with a proper edition of Evangelion for sale.

With regards to platinum the first two are out, and the third is on it's way, so I'd guess you're better off just waiting, right now.

What! Platinium isn't fully out yet? I thought it was Renewal. What exactly should I be looking to buy here?

Do you at least have access to the subtitles of the original DVD releases?

No but It would be sweet to get them. If I did, I could re-encode my crappy DVD's with some genuinely good subtitles. Also, has anyone ever given thought to creating a proper fansub file?

[DatDude]

As I buy dvds I rip the subs but its been a wile since I did it. I need to get volume four one of thee days.

[the_seventh_child]

Why do all threads get off topic lately?

[Ryo]

It's Anno's plan to prevent us from finding the truth! Why, Anno you smart bastard... *grumbles*

[Soluzar]

With regards to platinum the first two are out, and the third is on it's way, so I'd guess you're better off just waiting, right now.

What! Platinium isn't fully out yet? I thought it was Renewal. What exactly should I be looking to buy here?

It's out in Japan and the USA, but I somehow got the impression that you were an English fellow like me. Renewal is the Japanese product. The exact same footage has been repackaged as "Platinum" to the English speaking world. It really doesn't matter which you get, except that renewal will cost a bloody fortune, and platinum can be had for reasonable prices. Sorry to confuse you.

Do you at least have access to the subtitles of the original DVD releases?

No but It would be sweet to get them. If I did, I could re-encode my crappy DVD's with some genuinely good subtitles. Also, has anyone ever given thought to creating a proper fansub file?

I guess that it would be really easy to rip the subtitles. We could correct all of ADVs mistakes from Reichu/Quiddity's scripts.

[thewayneiac]

Do you think Gendos prime motivation was love for his wife, or do you think that love twisted into an obsession?


Please state your reasons

The two aren't mutually exclusive. Gendo's love for Yui lead to an obsession with re-joining her.

[Hexon.Arq]

Obsession. The prospect of being with his wife again became the sole reason for his continued existence, not some gooblety-gock about evolving the species. However, it was that hope that he chased -- the prospect itself. In his pursuit, he lost touch with any sense of her true self; otherwise he would have been a different person. As time passed, it became that he loved an idea more than its basis.

Had he been driven by his love for Yui alone, she would have never ceased to be at his side even after her disappearance. Love is enlightening; obsession is blinding. Many do not know the difference.

[Digitalex]

Had he been driven by his love for Yui alone, she would have never ceased to be at his side even after her disappearance. Love is enlightening; obsession is blinding. Many do not know the difference.

That was beautiful Hexon. *wipes tear from eye*.

[Misuzu]

i thought gendou wanted to go see yui at the end? in EoE, he wanted Rei to bring hm to see yui, but Rei chose Shinji instead?

if gendou didn't love her at all, why would he even bother.